Integrations are important as they help businesses to improve performance, reduce costs and enhance customer relationships. UC improves productivity with simple click-to-call users when they are available and helps teams collaborate. Common integrations are Microsoft with Cisco and common CRM software.
Partners successful in this area are looking at how their businesses interact with customers and how this can be enhanced using unified communications. Vendors can help by identifying key use cases highlighting unique solutions to common problems.
Selling the benefits
According to Metrigy Research, companies that utilise integrated UC and CC solutions from a single vendor reported a nearly 100 per cent revenue increase, a 14 per cent cost decrease, a 57 per cent customer ratings improvement, and a 37 per cent agent efficiency improvement.
By reducing the time spent switching between different communication platforms, UC allows employees to focus more on their tasks. With real-time sharing capabilities, employees can seamlessly connect from any location and device with an internet connection. This flexibility enables remote work, and international collaborations, and fosters a work-from-anywhere culture.
Unique, cost-effective managed solutions are the key to success for channel partners trying to win new business. End-users buy from suppliers they trust, who are responsive to their needs. Being a one-stop-shop for all of their requirements is important as is working with an aggregator.
Future
At the moment, the UC collaboration experience is all based on two dimensions video and screen sharing. However, we already see our SIMs being used in Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) applications in specialist industries with purpose-built tools and devices. However, companies such as Microsoft, Apple and Google are investing heavily in AR and VR for both consumers and businesses. This combined with the widespread availability of 5G makes me think it won’t be too far away before the UC and Collaboration tools that we use every day start to open up AR and VR for widespread B2B use.